The Law Enforcement Family

Being in Law Enforcement for the past seven years has given me a first hand appreciation of the "Family".

There are very few professions that require the worker to subject himself to the cream of society with the dangers that come with it, and be expected do so with a smile on his face. It takes a specific type of person to be able to do this for 30 years, and it takes a special family structure to maintain his sanity.

In what would be considered my "short" Law Enforcement career, I have been involved in several major incidents. When the time is right, I will describe some of them here. In each of these events, I knew in the back of my mind that I had an incredible amount of support to get through each of them.

My wife, Tracy, is the backbone of my support. I could not do what I do on a daily basis without her. She says that she often asked, "Arent you worried about your husband, working all night with all the crazies out there?" She has often told me that she sleeps soundly knowing that I have the training, experience, and drive to survive for the family, and that I will do everything in my power to come home every day. She has told me that if something unfortunate did happen to me, she knows that I am doing what I have been called to do. I enjoy what I do and I feel I do it well. Tracy... you have supported me from day one. I thank you and I Love You with all of my heart.

As a parent, I know that I would do anything to protect my kids from danger. It takes a strong parent to accept that their son goes out to find it. As others are running from threats, we are the ones running towards it, facing it head on. I know that my mother's heart skips a beat every time she wakes up to the morning news saying there was a major incident in Rancho Cordova. Every once in a while I will get a call in the morning with her saying, "I heard about what happened, and I just wanted to make sure you were OK." She has told me that she maintains by knowing only the details that she wants to know. I know that if I needed her support, I would get it in a heartbeat. Thank you mom.

My children are an incredible source of support. I see the pride in the faces of my 12 year old daughter Alex, 10 year old son Kyle, and 9 year old son Adam, when they see me in my uniform or driving my patrol car. I would like to think that them seeing me serve the community will drive them to be productive members of society. In fact, Adam has shown interest in following in my footsteps to become a deputy. I must be doing something right.

As introduced in my first post, my brother, Joel gives me a sounding board to voice anything, as long as it is in between my neice's nap times... lol. Thank you Joel for being there for me and being my best friend.

Finally, the last bit of "Family" that I have is the Law Enforcement family. I could fill a whole new post about this. People outside the profession rarely understand the community that encompasses it. I know that if I needed support, I would have ten members of the law enforcement community at my door without question.

I expect to retire a law enforcement officer as an old man. As I progress through my career, I know that I will count on my "Family" to share all of the good times and to support me through the tougher times. I appreciate each and every one of you.